The Meaning of Genesis 9:2 Explained

Genesis 9:2

KJV: And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

YLT: and your fear and your dread is on every beast of the earth, and on every fowl of the heavens, on all that creepeth on the ground, and on all fishes of the sea -- into your hand they have been given.

Darby: And let the fear of you and the dread of you be upon every animal of the earth, and upon all fowl of the heavens: upon all that moveth on the ground; and upon all the fishes of the sea: into your hand are they delivered.

ASV: And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens; With all wherewith the ground teemeth, and all the fishes of the sea, into your hand are they delivered.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the fear of you  and the dread of you  shall be upon every beast  of the earth,  and upon every fowl  of the air,  upon all that moveth  [upon] the earth,  and upon all the fishes  of the sea;  into your hand  are they delivered. 

What does Genesis 9:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 9:1-17 - God's Covenant With Noah
As the human race started afresh on its career, God blessed it, as at the first. God always stands with us in a new start. The prohibition against the use of blood in food is often repeated. See Leviticus 17:11; Acts 15:29. In a very deep sense, the blood is the life. When we speak of being redeemed by the blood of Jesus, we mean that we have been saved by His sacrificed life. The blood maketh atonement for the soul. But while animal life might be used for food or sacrifice, human life was surrounded by the most solemn sanctions. A Covenant is a promise or undertaking resting on certain conditions, with a sign or token attached to it. The bow in the cloud, the Lord's Supper, the wedding ring are signs and seals of their respective covenants. Never witness a rainbow without remembering that as God hath sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth, so He will not withdraw His kindness. See Isaiah 54:9. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 9

1  God blesses Noah and his sons, and grants them flesh for food
4  Blood and murder are forbidden
8  God's covenant, of which the rainbow was constituted a pledge
18  Noah's family replenishes the world
20  Noah plants a vineyard,
21  Is drunken, and mocked by his son;
25  Curses Canaan;
26  Blesses Shem;
27  Prays for Japheth, and dies

What do the individual words in Genesis 9:2 mean?

And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth and on bird of the air on all that move [on] the earth and on all the fish of the sea Into your hand they are given
וּמוֹרַאֲכֶ֤ם וְחִתְּכֶם֙ יִֽהְיֶ֔ה עַ֚ל כָּל־ חַיַּ֣ת הָאָ֔רֶץ וְעַ֖ל ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם בְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּרְמֹ֧שׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה וּֽבְכָל־ דְּגֵ֥י הַיָּ֖ם בְּיֶדְכֶ֥ם נִתָּֽנוּ

וּמוֹרַאֲכֶ֤ם  And  the  fear  of  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: מֹורָא 
Sense: fear, reverence, terror.
וְחִתְּכֶם֙  and  the  dread  of  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: חַת 
Sense: fear, terror.
יִֽהְיֶ֔ה  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
חַיַּ֣ת  beast 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְעַ֖ל  and  on 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
ע֣וֹף  bird 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֹוף  
Sense: flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds.
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם  of  the  air 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
בְּכֹל֩  on  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
תִּרְמֹ֧שׂ  move 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָמַשׂ  
Sense: to creep, move lightly, move about, walk on all fours.
הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה  [on]  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
וּֽבְכָל־  and  on  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
דְּגֵ֥י  the  fish 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּאג 
Sense: fish.
הַיָּ֖ם  of  the  sea 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
בְּיֶדְכֶ֥ם  Into  your  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
נִתָּֽנוּ  they  are  given 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.